dacjohns
Our Frustrated Curmudgeon
That's it bee, make it romantic like the Little House series and make a bunch selling books and magazine articles.
How we went from $42,000 to $6,500 and lived to tell about it!
- Thread starter Beekissed
- Start date
Up-the-Creek
Lovin' The Homestead
There aint nothing romantic about living on $6500 a yr. 
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- #113
Beekissed
Mountain Sage
Try it for a little less than $6000 with 6 people, with the occasional returning older child and their children. I know....you folks don't want to believe it can be done and that it's all BS, but I was there and we did it and, no, it isn't all flowers and moonbeams.....but it was still great and the experience of a lifetime.Up-the-Creek said:There aint nothing romantic about living on $6500 a yr.
me&thegals
A Major Squash & Pumpkin Lover
bee, I don't think anybody doubts you did it. I'm just saying that on my land in today's tax climate, I could not do it. Definitely not.
Out of curiosity, why did your family come back on the grid? Did your parents feel it was feasible to continue long term? Were they able to live off savings, or was it starting on nothing and ending on nothing?
I think doing *that* or approximations thereof on the SS continuum could give a person a great sense of self confidence, that he/she could take whatever life has to give and make it out okay.
Out of curiosity, why did your family come back on the grid? Did your parents feel it was feasible to continue long term? Were they able to live off savings, or was it starting on nothing and ending on nothing?
I think doing *that* or approximations thereof on the SS continuum could give a person a great sense of self confidence, that he/she could take whatever life has to give and make it out okay.
- Thread starter
- #115
Beekissed
Mountain Sage
My dad wasn't really an adaptable kind of person and he didn't really get into it for the same reasons you or I would. He sold his place in a fit of anger because his sons did not want to build on the land. He was still perfectly fit to work the land and, physically, still is if needed, but he really wasn't in it for the same reasons as normal folks. Long story. :/
My dad had amazing skills working with wood and metal and could have made a great living off the land alone, along with his very marketable skills, but seriously lacked the confidence in himself to even try.
When I think back about all the options they did not try there, it makes me sad. Mom would have done it in a heartbeat, but Dad was a different kettle of fish.
No, it wasn't because they could no longer do it....they just lacked the motivation in the end. When he realized that his sons didn't want his little empire, Dad just gave up, sold the farm, bought a place in the mountains.
Couldn't stand to not live in a log cabin, moved back to a piece of property they retained on the old place and put up a trailer. Then built a log cabin on the front of it and that's where they landed. Still worked the land hard, but no longer felt the need to be "unplugged from the octopus". Really got to liking his TV, Mom got to liking her washing machine.....and there ya have it.
Too bad he didn't offer free land to his daughters....I would still be on that land, off-grid and living in my own log cabin. Such is life....
My dad had amazing skills working with wood and metal and could have made a great living off the land alone, along with his very marketable skills, but seriously lacked the confidence in himself to even try.
When I think back about all the options they did not try there, it makes me sad. Mom would have done it in a heartbeat, but Dad was a different kettle of fish.
No, it wasn't because they could no longer do it....they just lacked the motivation in the end. When he realized that his sons didn't want his little empire, Dad just gave up, sold the farm, bought a place in the mountains.
Couldn't stand to not live in a log cabin, moved back to a piece of property they retained on the old place and put up a trailer. Then built a log cabin on the front of it and that's where they landed. Still worked the land hard, but no longer felt the need to be "unplugged from the octopus". Really got to liking his TV, Mom got to liking her washing machine.....and there ya have it.
Too bad he didn't offer free land to his daughters....I would still be on that land, off-grid and living in my own log cabin. Such is life....
hikerchick
Lovin' The Homestead
They could always get jobs like everyone else instead of playing on people's desire for a simpler life to sell their video.Beekissed said:What? Helpful people?
But then....if you are only pulling down $6500 a year, ya gotta get some revenue somewhere. Can't exactly afford to advertise, can they?
hikerchick
Lovin' The Homestead
I guess I just don't get why people romanticize poverty. I grew up in poverty and it was HORRIBLE. I would NEVER allow my child to grow up that way; I dont' care if I have to work 5 jobs. I did whatever I needed to do to make sure she would never have to live in poverty. I don't get why people glorify it. Yeah, sometimes it is unavoidable but almost anyone can take steps to get out of poverty. And for those who can't, I doubt they consider their situation so wonderful that others would want to do it.
me&thegals
A Major Squash & Pumpkin Lover
I imagine it makes quite a difference if someone chooses poverty or poverty chooses them.
pioneergirl
Wannabe Pioneer
Personally, I don't look at it as poverty. My desire to get off grid, have only enough money to pay the property taxes or get certain things I can't grow is NOT poverty. No, its not romantic in my book. But I don't think having loads of cash, or living outside our means just to save face with the 'Jones' is romantic either.
When I was growing up, my mother made our clothes, shopped at Goodwill and yard sales. She had zero fashion sense so I grew up looking like I was drug through a rag pile. Completely humiliating. We didn't have loads of money, but I don't want my son growing up thinking everything is peaches. I read an article of a couple who went off grid with their 6 children. The oldest was embarrassed at school, until one day she realized what they had. When asked at school "Why would anyone live like that?" she proudly answered "At least I know how".....to me, you can't replace that kind of confidence. You can't learn those skills behind a desk, or in a class.
Poverty? NO. Living simply? YES. Easy? NO. Self gratification? YES
I don't think these people in the article, or here on SS are glorifying anything. I think they are proud of what they have accomplished. Proud of their skills and self confidence to take on anything. The knowledge that if SHTF, they will survive.
No, I don't look at it as poverty, I look at is as relieving myself of the crap this modern life is throwing at me. Yes, taxes will have to be paid. Yes, some things will have to be purchased. Yes, there will have to be some sort of income. So, am I a bad person for sharing my skills with the world to pay my taxes? Everyone else shares their skills each time they punch the clock at work, so whats the difference? So I get paid $200 for a pretty article about my life, so what? Its a one time shot, not a lifetime income. So I sell a video on how to make bread, so what? If anyone could make a video about how to do their job, sit at home and reap the $$$, they would do it, too. I don't think we should be bashing these people for making a few bucks on a video, or a pretty article. I think we should step back and ask ourselves how we can simplify our lives and live off of less.
I can tell you all this....when I go off grid, and get as SS as I possibly can, you can bet your a** I'll be writing about it. And if someone wants to publish my story, then woohoo! I'll put that $$ into a college fund for my son, or donate it to charity, or buy me a new plow, or SOMETHING. Knowing that my hard SS work might inspire and teach others is the reason for publication. Not to get above $6000 a year. It WOULD NOT be playing on people's desire for a simple life, it would be inspiring and teaching them to live a simple life. Where is the harm in that?
JMO,
Jen
When I was growing up, my mother made our clothes, shopped at Goodwill and yard sales. She had zero fashion sense so I grew up looking like I was drug through a rag pile. Completely humiliating. We didn't have loads of money, but I don't want my son growing up thinking everything is peaches. I read an article of a couple who went off grid with their 6 children. The oldest was embarrassed at school, until one day she realized what they had. When asked at school "Why would anyone live like that?" she proudly answered "At least I know how".....to me, you can't replace that kind of confidence. You can't learn those skills behind a desk, or in a class.
Poverty? NO. Living simply? YES. Easy? NO. Self gratification? YES
I don't think these people in the article, or here on SS are glorifying anything. I think they are proud of what they have accomplished. Proud of their skills and self confidence to take on anything. The knowledge that if SHTF, they will survive.
No, I don't look at it as poverty, I look at is as relieving myself of the crap this modern life is throwing at me. Yes, taxes will have to be paid. Yes, some things will have to be purchased. Yes, there will have to be some sort of income. So, am I a bad person for sharing my skills with the world to pay my taxes? Everyone else shares their skills each time they punch the clock at work, so whats the difference? So I get paid $200 for a pretty article about my life, so what? Its a one time shot, not a lifetime income. So I sell a video on how to make bread, so what? If anyone could make a video about how to do their job, sit at home and reap the $$$, they would do it, too. I don't think we should be bashing these people for making a few bucks on a video, or a pretty article. I think we should step back and ask ourselves how we can simplify our lives and live off of less.
I can tell you all this....when I go off grid, and get as SS as I possibly can, you can bet your a** I'll be writing about it. And if someone wants to publish my story, then woohoo! I'll put that $$ into a college fund for my son, or donate it to charity, or buy me a new plow, or SOMETHING. Knowing that my hard SS work might inspire and teach others is the reason for publication. Not to get above $6000 a year. It WOULD NOT be playing on people's desire for a simple life, it would be inspiring and teaching them to live a simple life. Where is the harm in that?
JMO,
Jen
me&thegals
A Major Squash & Pumpkin Lover
I will be looking forward to reading about it!! I thoroughly enjoyed a book recently (A Country Year?) about one woman's life alone in the Ozarks.
But, PG, you are choosing to go off grid. My point was that poverty, unwanted and unchosen, is different than choosing to go off grid, cut income and live very simply.
I just found out recently that my family would actually qualify for some assistance, for example the kind of assistance that would allow us to get CSA shares half price (if we weren't already selling them). That's based solely on our income and family size.
Personally, I feel wealthy. Truly wealthy. But, I choose to live simply, I love doing all the stuff I do at home and I could work more hours and earn more money if necessary.
Someone forced into it would probably feel differently.
But, PG, you are choosing to go off grid. My point was that poverty, unwanted and unchosen, is different than choosing to go off grid, cut income and live very simply.
I just found out recently that my family would actually qualify for some assistance, for example the kind of assistance that would allow us to get CSA shares half price (if we weren't already selling them
). That's based solely on our income and family size. Personally, I feel wealthy. Truly wealthy. But, I choose to live simply, I love doing all the stuff I do at home and I could work more hours and earn more money if necessary.
Someone forced into it would probably feel differently.
